Conserving a Herbal Ley

[steveR]

Looking at a biggish (for me) tranche of herbal ley going in this Autumn under a STW scheme.

The aim is to rotationally graze some of the crop and also conserve some (post clover flowering) for livestock fodder. Cotswold chaps say it is feasibly to cut in late June with good management... So Hay, Haylage or Silage?

Is hay a realistic option, if so, I am assuming it'll need to go through a mower conditioner to break the stemmy nature of the plants?

I was think if it has to be wrapped, a fusion chopper will work in reducing the poking effects? I found it worked well in dealing with a crop of ryegrass, heavily infested with Charlock!! The cows loved it!

Any hot tips???

 

[steveR]

Off to Holistic Farming

 

[Agrispeed]

Baling as silage is fine, there is a lot of moisture in the herbs, so it will be wetter than expected. It would be hard work to make hay (although I made some in 2018 without turning it at all) and you will lose a lot of goodies if you do turn it too much.

Being very mixed, it retains quality when it gets very stemmy as the herbs and clovers form an 'understory' of lush green material.

 

[steveR]

Baling as silage is fine, there is a lot of moisture in the herbs, so it will be wetter than expected. It would be hard work to make hay (although I made some in 2018 without turning it at all) and you will lose a lot of goodies if you do turn it too much.

Being very mixed, it retains quality when it gets very stemmy as the herbs and clovers form an 'understory' of lush green material.

Sounds very much as if some good hay making weather is the ideal time to grab it, one of the crimper conditioners would be good I wonder? Then row up into a baling row within 24 hours.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

If it's for your own use I would make Haylage of it ,simply because you can cut it at a younger stage

 

[steveR]

If it's for your own use I would make Haylage of it ,simply because you can cut it at a younger stage

Point. It will all go for home consumption

The prescription of the scheme asks that the red clover flowers... or at least some of it. Leaving some around the margins will satisfy all the requirements I think. However, there will be acres of Bee and Bird mix next field along, so not a bit deal!!